Category: Antiquarian

This section contains books published pre-1900 on Lepidoptera and other Entomological subjects. Some useful modern reference books and related works are included. Images will be added in due course but if there is a particular item of interest pictures of title-pages and bindings can be e-mailed on request. Please note copyright in all photographs on this website belong to David Dunbar and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.

3. A NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH INSECTS

ALBIN ELEAZAR , A NATURAL HISTORY OF BRITISH INSECTS, 1720, 1st edn, large 4to, Dedication to the Princess of Wales, Preface, List of Subscribers Names, single page of text with each of the 100 hand-coloured plates, (without the notes of Derham), full contemporary calf binding with later but old discreet rebacking of spine, gilt decoration on covers, spine with raised bands and gilt decoration in panels, text and plates generally clean and fresh with only occasional foxing or browning, good colouring, binding firm but with stitching of front hinge loosening, an above average copy of the extremely scarce first edition, London, William Innys. (Lisney 123). This is the first entomological book in English to be published with hand-coloured plates. It is suggested that Albin's daughter helped with the colouring of the prints. He wrote several other books on natural history including birds, spiders and fish.
Stock No. 865
£5,500

26. LES INSECTES, NOUVEAU ELEMENTS A ORNEMENTATION L'ENLUMINURE

GUILLOT E, LES INSECTES, NOUVEAU ELEMENTS A ORNEMENTATION L'ENLUMINURE, not dated c1890, 16 pages, 22 x 15 cms, beautifully printed chromolithographic plates depicting numerous ingenious designs and intricate illustrations for illuminating books, greetings cards and interior decorating materials such as wallpapers and stencillings, all utilising the images of butterflies, moths, beetles and other insects with flowers and elaborate scrollwork, gold highlighting on many plates, colour printed card covers showing some signs of wear and repair, an extremely rare item of particular interest to designers and artists, published by Librairie Renouard Paris.
Stock No. 912
£385

28. THE AURELIAN, or a NATURAL HISTORY OF ENGLISH MOTHS, and BUTTERFLIES together with the figures of THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS and of t

HARRIS MOSES, THE AURELIAN, or a NATURAL HISTORY OF ENGLISH MOTHS, and BUTTERFLIES together with the figures of THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS and of t, 1840 new edition by J O Westwood, folio, xi + key - 83pp + systematic list and index, text in English, additional hand-coloured engraved title-page, anatomical plate, 44 superbly engraved plates most with dedication inscription and coat-of-arms of patrons, life-like colouring on plates all of which are in a clean and fresh state, half red morocco, marbled boards and endpapers, gilt edges, spine (re-laid and hinges strengthened) with raised bands and elaborate gold stamped decoration on panels, corners showing signs of very minor wear but otherwise in good state, a fine copy, published by Henry G Bohn. This last edition has an extended text by J O Westwood.
Stock No. 916
£POA

29. AN EXPOSITION OF ENGLISH INSECTS with Curious Observations and Remarks Wherein each Insect is Described...

HARRIS MOSES, AN EXPOSITION OF ENGLISH INSECTS with Curious Observations and Remarks Wherein each Insect is Described..., 1782, large quarto, engraved title-page in English, Introduction and Preface, anatomical plate and colour "wheel", viii-166 pages, with Index, parallel text columns in English and French, 50 hand-coloured engraved copper plates showing over 500 figures, all plates in exceptionally clean and fresh condition, bound in full calf, spine rebacked very professionally with raised bands and gilt tooling, gilt edges, marbled endpapers, a fine copy. Printed for the author by J Millan.
Stock No. 1270
£1,650.

39. THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES

HUMPHREYS, H NOEL, THE GENERA AND SPECIES OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES, nd, (1859), imp 8vo, xii-64 pages, engraved title-page handcoloured depicting three extreme varieties of the Small Tortoiseshell and Small Copper with lettering in gold but page rather browned, 32 beautifully handcoloured lithographic plates each showing one or more species of butterflies many with pupae and larvae and all on a background of plants, flowers and grasses, original red cloth binding decorated with scrollwork and figures of butterflies on the front covers, early presentation inscription on front-end paper, a few neat handwritten annotations in text, very slight browning of some early plates just in margins but otherwise plates and colouring clean and fresh, published by Paul Jerrard. The bright and clear colouring on the plates is unusual in that the colouring on the normal standard edition tends to be limited to the images of insects and plants. This copy has more intense colouring and with a background sky and ground filled in. It is not, however, as garish as the occasionally found presentation edition by the same publisher. With the artistic composition of flowers and plants as a background to the butterflies these illustrations represent a beautiful example of Victorian book production
Stock No. 928
£650

42. BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS

HUMPHREYS H N & J O WESTWOOD, BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS, 1860, 3rd edition, quarto, 140pp, 42 finely hand-coloured plates and decorative engraved title-page, all in very clean and fresh condition, each plate artistically depicts several species of butterfly with flowers and food-plants together with larvae and pupae, contemporary full red calf, spine with raised bands and decorative gilt tooling,all edges gilt, a very good copy of this classic Victorian book which is much sought after for the beautiful illustrations and informative text, William and Robert Chambers
Stock No. 931
£800

58. NAAUWKEURIGE WAARNEEMINGEN OMTRENT DE VERANDERINGEN VAN VEELE INSEKTEN OF GEKORVENE DIERTJES

L'ADMIRAL JACOB, NAAUWKEURIGE WAARNEEMINGEN OMTRENT DE VERANDERINGEN VAN VEELE INSEKTEN OF GEKORVENE DIERTJES, 1774, folio, 2 pp foreword, 34 pp, 2pp index, engraved title-page with coloured cartouche, 33 highly artistic and finely hand-coloured copperplate engravings depicting butterflies, moths and other insects with flowers, fruits and plants, bound in modern quarter mottled calf with new end-papers, edges of title-page and foreword strengthened, plates in good clean state, published in Amsterdam. The style of the artist's composition is not dissimilar to the plates of Moses Harris's Aurelian.
Stock No. 948
£3,750

61. THE INSECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN, WITH THE NATURAL HISTORY OF EACH SPECIES

LEWIN WILLIAM, THE INSECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN, WITH THE NATURAL HISTORY OF EACH SPECIES, 1795, 1st issue, quarto, text in English and French, Volume 1 (only one published) relating only to British butterflies, 100pp including two title pages and half title page, 46 finely hand-coloured engraved plates, many showing more than one species and some with larvae and pupae, good colouring, full calf gilt decorated binding, rebacked spine with raised bands, marbled endpapers, printed for J Johnson. (Lisney 410). All the species known at the time are described and illustrated, several for the first time. The engraving is accurate and lifelike thus setting a new standard for future works and easy identification of species
Stock No. 952
£2,500

63. The English Entomologist exhibiting all the COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS, Found in England,.according to the LINNEAN SYSTEM

MARTYN THOMAS, The English Entomologist exhibiting all the COLEOPTEROUS INSECTS, Found in England,.according to the LINNEAN SYSTEM, 1792, first edition, small folio, 34 pages, engraved title-page (with small stamp), general table 4 pages, 2 plates of coins, 42 finely handcoloured stipple engraved plates of beetles with many specimens on each with tissue guards in extremely fresh condition, full calf binding with rebacked spine, institution crest on front cover, corners of covers worn, marbled end papers and gilt edges, an excellent copy, published by the Author.
Stock No. 957
£1,200

64. BUTTERFLIES, BEETLES AND OTHER INSECTS, The Leningrad Book of Notes and Studies

MERIAN MARIA SIBYLLA, BUTTERFLIES, BEETLES AND OTHER INSECTS, The Leningrad Book of Notes and Studies, published 1976, number 97 of a limited edition of 1750 copies offered for sale, authentication certificate, notes on plates, 120 plates printed in colour, tissue guards each printed with key table and numbered, all contained in cloth-bound box with marbled boards, together with text volume consisting of Foreword, History, Significance of the Work Biographically and in the History of Merian's Work with text in English, French, German and Russian, facsimile of the â€˜Notes' with modern German printed text, indices, bibliography, identification of insects, bound in simulated half-calf with marbled boards all contained in slipcase for text volume and plate box, an important facsimile work of the famous collection of original watercolour paintings housed in the St Petersburgh Museum, over 1,550 specimens are depicted of moths, butterflies, flies, beetles and other insects mostly with some or all early life stages, this facsimile is an opportunity to examine the work of Maria Merian. McGovern-Hill International Book Co.
Stock No. 959
£375

65. PINAX RERUM NATURALIUM BRITANNICARUM, CONTINENS VEGETABILIA, ANIMALIA ET FOSSILIA in hac Insula reperta inchoatus

MERRETT CHRISTOPHER, PINAX RERUM NATURALIUM BRITANNICARUM, CONTINENS VEGETABILIA, ANIMALIA ET FOSSILIA in hac Insula reperta inchoatus, 1667, 12vo, the first issue of the 2nd edition, dedication, preface, 223pp, references, text in Latin, original full calf binding, raised bands and gilt decorated panels on spine, small chip missing from head of spine and no front end-paper, (Lisney 43) T Roycroft. The Pinax is an important work as it was the first list of the flora and fauna of Britain. The section on butterflies and moths contains brief sentences to describe each species but these are often vague and, even with reference back to Moffett's work, identification cannot always be certain
Stock No. 960
£850

70. INSECTORUM SIVE MINIMORUM ANIMALIUM THEATRUM, olim Edoardo Wootono, Conrado Gesnero, Thomaque Pennio inchoatum...,

MOFFET THOMAS, INSECTORUM SIVE MINIMORUM ANIMALIUM THEATRUM, olim Edoardo Wootono, Conrado Gesnero, Thomaque Pennio inchoatum..., , 1634, first edition, small folio, 20 pages + 316 (paginated 326) and 4 pages of woodcuts, title within double lines surrounding a woodcut of bees and a large beehive, text in Latin, profusely illustrated with woodcuts throughout text including butterflies, moths, bees, dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers and many others, old sheep full leather rather worn, hinges weakened, Thomas Coates, London (Lisney 4), This is the first book dealing almost exclusively with entomology to be published in England. Moffet, a Londoner born in 1553, studied medicine at Cambridge and compiled the Theatrum Insectorum from works by Gesner, Wootton and Penny but also added his own observations. After his death in 1604 the manuscript was held by his family until the book was eventually published by Sir Theodore Mayenne in 1634. An English edition was published in 1658.
Stock No. 964
£2,500

71. MOFFETT'S INSECTORUM SIVE MINIMORUM ANIMALIUM THEATRUM

MOFFETT THOMAS - THOMSON GEORGE, MOFFETT'S INSECTORUM SIVE MINIMORUM ANIMALIUM THEATRUM, The Butterflies and Moths, A limited edition of 500 copies, published in 2000, 210 x 300 cms, 2 title-pages, tipped in colour reproduction of original watercolour by John White, 66pages, many illustrations in the text, cloth bound with dustjacket, George Thomson. This book deals with the butterfly and moth section of Thomas Moufet's great work Insectorum Theatrum, 1634, the first book about insects published in England. It contains a facsimile of the original Latin version and a translation with identifications of the species wherever possible. These are preceded by a commentary about the manuscript and book, Moufet, the other contributors and the illustrations. There is also a bibliography and brief section on â€˜The earliest surviving specimen of a butterfly?'
Stock No. 965
£80.

74. A HISTORY OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES

MORRIS REV F O, A HISTORY OF BRITISH BUTTERFLIES, 1865, 3rd edition, 168 pages + supplement Aporismata Entomologica 29pp, 71 handcoloured plates, two additional plates showing several types of old butterfly nets and other collecting equipment, very nicely rebound in quarter cloth with papercoverd boards and new endpapers, very good colouring on plates, a very good copy, Groombridge & Son. Morris's Butterflies was produced in large numbers during the second half of the 19th century running to 9 editions, the last of which was issued in 1904. There can be little doubt that this book stimulated a much wider interest in butterflies and could be readily used as an identification guide for the Victorian naturalists. The quality of the plates in this edition are easily comparable to those in the first edition. See illustrations of previous item above.
Stock No. 1179
£260

86. THE AURELIAN LEGACY - BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR COLLECTORS

SALMON Dr M A, THE AURELIAN LEGACY - BRITISH BUTTERFLIES AND THEIR COLLECTORS, 2000, with additional material by Peter Marren and Basil Harley, foreword by Dame Miriam Rothschild, 272 pages, superb colour plates and many black and white illustrations, clothbound and dustjacket, Harley Books. This engaging book charts the history of butterfly collecting in Britain since the 17th century. Although collecting is now an emotive subject it is impossible to separate the history of butterflies from that of their collectors. It provides a brief biography, with a portrait where available, of one hundred early lepidopterists together with quotations and anecdotes of their exploits. Chapters include the history of collecting, an illustrated description of equipment, important histories of 35 species of special interest, and collecting and conservation. In a very original presentation this is a fascinating glimpse into the past of a hitherto unresearched but ancient pursuit and makes compelling reading. New
Stock No. 983
£30

89. THE SEYMER LEGACY

SEYMER HENRY & SEYMER HENRY JNR, VANE WRIGHT R & HUGHES H, THE SEYMER LEGACY, 2005, 330 pages, 280 x 325 mm, 72 colour plates of remarkable 18th century fine original watercolour paintings of exotic butterflies and moths, together with many other colour illustrations and half-tones and drawings. The collection resided with the descendants of the Seymers, father and son, until recently and thus remained unseen and unstudied. Henry Seymer senior (1714-1785) was clearly the main driving force, later joined by his son, also Henry, between 1772 and father's death, at which point work apparently stopped. The important feature of these paintings is that they derived from specimens acquired by the Seymers - they were prime representations taken from life. They come from a wide variety of locations, stretching for example from Jamaica to Newfoundland, and present significant new information about the knowledge of world lepidoptera. Access to this collection through purchase has allowed a thorough examination of all the species shown in the paintings, and of the accompanying original legends written by the Seymers. As well as generating new information this has pointed up some remaining mysteries. The paintings themselves are beautiful, on a par with contemporary artists such as Moses Harris, and very well executed; each one illustrating multiple species set against imaginative botanical backgrounds, with an approach to graphic design ahead of its time. In addition to the full-colour reproductions of the 72 paintings, are the results of detailed entomological study of their content, a painstaking review of information collected about the Seymers and how they obtained their specimens, and consideration of the implications thrown up by this important collection. Standard edition bound in green buckram with laminated dustjacket. Now out of print with very few copies issued.
Stock No. 985
£350

98. HISTORY OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS AND SERPENTS AND INSECTS, BY EDWARD TOPSELL

TOPSELL EDWARD, HISTORY OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS AND SERPENTS AND INSECTS, BY EDWARD TOPSELL, 1967, with New Introduction by Willy Ley, from the original published in 1658, reproduced from the English edition copy in the Library of the American Museum of Natural History, in three volumes, Vol.1 The History of Four Footed Beasts, with 16 pages containing Introduction and Contents and 586 pages of text with illustrations, Vol.2 The History of Serpents, 232 pages + prelims and index, Vol.3 The Theater of Insects by T Muffett, 242 pages + prelims and index, all three volumes bound in matching quarter light brown leatherette and red papered boards in mint condition, published by the Da Capo Press.
Stock No. 999
£500

118. INDEX ENTOMOLOGICUS, or a Complete Catalogue of LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN

WOOD W, INDEX ENTOMOLOGICUS, or a Complete Catalogue of LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN, 1852, new revised edition (2nd), 8vo, preface, 298 pages + 2 pages errata and addenda, 59 hand-coloured plates in a clean fresh state, illustrating nearly 2,000 specimens of butterflies and moths in reduced size, half morocco binding with marbled boards, spine with raised bands with marbled boards, a good copy, G Willis. The first edition was published in 1839 followed by four more which included a supplement by J O Westwood and 5 extra plates covering species which had been discovered since the book was originally prepared. The plates each have approximately 36 figures of butterflies or moths which are reduced from life-size. This copy is bound with Catalogue of the British Lepidoptera... according to Mr Stephens, 21 pages.
Stock No. 1173
£400

119. INDEX ENTOMOLOGICUS, or a Complete Catalogue of LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN

WOOD W, INDEX ENTOMOLOGICUS, or a Complete Catalogue of LEPIDOPTEROUS INSECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN, 1854, new revised edition (3rd), 8vo, preface, 21 errata and 298 pages, 59 hand-coloured plates in a clean fresh state, illustrating nearly 2,000 specimens of butterflies and moths in reduced size, half morocco binding with marbled boards, spine with raised bands and insects stamped in gilt on decorated spine panels, a fine copy, G Willis. The first edition was published in 1839 followed by four more which included a supplement by J O Westwood and 5 extra plates covering species which had been discovered since the book was originally prepared. The plates each have approximately 36 figures of butterflies or moths which are reduced from life-size.
Stock No. 1019
£350

Category: Antiquarian

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